Plastic containers



1959 M. FRANKEL PLASTIC CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 5, 1956 ATTORNEY United States Patent PLASTIC CONTAINERS Morris Frankel, Teaneck, NJ.

Application October 5, 1956, Serial No. 614,138

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-31) This invention relates to containers preferably formed by the process of vacuum drawing or shaping plastic sheets in forming two-part containers used in packaging and/ or handling of products of various types and kinds.

More particularly, the invention deals with a container of the character described which is substantially sealed and includes rupturable means for gaining access to the contents within the container.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating one form of container which I employ. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating one part of the container in extended position in dot-dash lines, preparatory to filling and closing or sealing the container.

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, showing another form of construction; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken section, similar to Figs. 2 and 3, showing another modification and indicating, in part in dot-dash lines, a flat top, similar to the showing in Fig. 3.

While containers of the kind under consideration can be used for many purposes, to illustrate one adaptation and use thereof, I have shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, a container which would be suitable for use in the packaging and distribution of such food products as a hamburger and roll.

In the different forms of containers made according to my invention, the same are preferably formed by the vacuum drawing process of plastic sheets of different thickness, as for example, sheets of styrene, polyethylene, butyrate and acetate and the like.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a sheet is fashioned to form two substantially similar dish-shaped parts 10, integrally joined in a rounded hinge portion 11 constituting a straight part 12 of a peripheral flange 13, 13'. The straight part 12 is severed from the flange 13, 13 by slits, as indicated at 14 in Fig. l of the drawing. It will, thus, be seen that the parts normally shaped from a sheet with the part 10 in the dot-dash position of Fig. 2 of the drawing can then be folded on the hinge 11 to lie over the part 10' with the flanges 13, 13 in alinement with each other.

It is preferred that the parts or a multiplicy of the parts be packaged with the part 10 in the dot-dash position of Fig. 2, so that a number of parts can be nested one within the other; whereupon, in the use of the parts, the article or product is placed in the chamber 15 of the part 10' such, for example, as the hamburger and roll noted above. Thereafter, the part 10 is moved over the part 10' and the alined flanges 13, 13 are secured together in any desired manner. With this type of packaging, a heated hamburger can be kept warm, not only in 2,915,214 Patented Dec. 1, 1959 its closed chamber but by maintaining the container as a whole warm in a suitable dispensing or supply means. One specific illustration of use of a container of this type and kind would be for the sale and distribution and, particularly, delivery of hamburgers at, for example, ball games, where the container will serve a practical means for throwing or tossing a hamburger to the receiver in the manner of tossing cigarette packages or the like, as commonly practiced by vendors at ball parks.

To illustrate one method of securing the flanges 13, 13' together, I have diagrammatically indicated at 16 a heat sealing extending from the slits 14 entirely around the parts 10, 10, preferably in close proximity to the outer peripheral walls of said parts, thus a substantially sealed container will result. This heat sealing can be cared for at the point of assemblage of the product in the separate parts of the container.

It will, of course, be understood that the container can be fashioned in any desired shape to suit the particular product or article to be positioned therein. The round dome shape is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to suit the particular use noted above.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and, in said figure, 17 represents a container part, similar to the part 10', and 18 a flat top part, which is substituted for the domed part 10, otherwise, the structure of Fig. 3 is identical with that of Figs. 1 and 2. In other words, the parts 17 and 18 have the hinge connection, as at 19, and the seal, as at 20, similar to the seal 16.

In Figs. 1 and 2, as well as in Figs. 1 and 3, the straight hinge part 12, as well as the corresponding part 12 of Fig. 3, have a series of rupturable perforations 21, note Fig. l, and 21', as in Fig. 3. By these rupturable perforations, the parts 12, 12' can be torn off in the operation of opening the container, this leaving separated ends, as at 22 in Fig. 2 and 22 in Fig. 3, which can be graspedby the fingers in forcibly separating the two parts of the container to gain access to the contents thereof.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, I have shown another modification of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Here two substantially similar parts 23 and 24 are employed, these parts being generally similar to the parts 10, 10', the primary difference being that the part 23 includes, at the periphery thereof and inwardly of the flange 25, a depressed annular portion 26 adapted to fit snugly in the wall of the part 24 to form a substantial seal between the parts, a structure of this type and kind being suitable for merchandising products that may include, as part thereof, a liquid. In this sense, the depressed portion 26 forms what might be called a sealing rim on the part 23. Here again, the flange 27 of the part 24 is sealed to the flange 25, as at 28, the parts being hingedly joined, as seen at 29, in a portion 12", similar to the straight portions 12, 12' and also including perforations, as at 21". The structure of Fig. 4, as shown in full lines, is generally similar in shape to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, the part 23 could be a straight top, as taught in Fig. 3, as indicated in part in dot-dash lines at 23'.

In the use of containers of the type and kind, it will 4 3 with the other and extending the major length of the periphery of said parts, said flanges having opposed ends spaced for positioning the hinge means between said flange ends, the hinge means comprising flat'parts disposed intermediate and in spaced straight alignment with ends of said flanges, a substantially cylindrical hinge portion joining said flat hinge parts and spaced from the periphery of the first named parts, and said flat hingeparts having a weakened line paralleling the axis of the hinge portion and positioned between such hinge portion and the first named parts.

2. A container of the character described, comprising two similar round dish-shaped parts, means hingedly coupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flanges, aligned one with the other and extending the major length of the periphery of said parts, the hinge means comprising fiat parts disposed intermediate and in spaced straight alignment with ends of said flanges, a substantially cylindrical hinge portion joining said flat hinge parts and spaced from the periphery of the first named parts, and said flat hinge parts having a weakened line paralleling the axis of the hinge portion and positioned between such hinge portion and dish-shaped parts.

3. A container of the character described, comprising two similar round dish-shaped parts, means hingedly coupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flanges, aligned one with the other and extendingthe major length of the periphery of said parts, the hinge means comprising flat parts disposed intermediate and in spaced straight alignment with ends of said flanges, a substantially cylindrical hinge portion joining said flat hinge parts and spaced from the periphery of the first named parts, said flat hinge parts having a weakened line paralleling the axis of the hinge portion and positioned between such hinge portion and dish-shaped parts, and one dish-shaped part including at its periphery a circumterentially continuous sealing rim extending into and engaging the entire peripheral portion of the other dishshaped part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

